From Brody File Executive Producer Dana Ritter on site at Liberty University:

GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney gave what could be considered the biggest speech of his political career Saturday at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. Liberty University is the biggest evangelical Christian university in the world and the crowd was 34,000 people.

After his big speech, Romney sat down with Jennifer Wishon, White House Correspondent for CBN News. David Brody was planning to do the interview but a last second family emergency made that impossible.

She asked him about a time he rescued a family in trouble on the water in New Hampshire, a story he doesn't often talk about. Video and transcription below.

MANDATORY COURTESY: CBN News/The Brody File

Jennifer Wishon: A moment ago, you mentioned pushing people off the boat, you actually helped rescue some folks who were in the water in New Hampshire. It’s not something that you often talk about, but I wonder if you could share a little bit about what happened, and what that meant to you?

Mitt Romney: Well, you know when you’re on the water, things can be a little dangerous. And apparently a family and friends were going across Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire and something happened in the drive shaft of their boat, it was a classic wooden boat, and suddenly it began filling with water. It broke a hole in the bottom, filled with water, sunk quickly.

They had a little dog with them, they were out there yelling, but it was dark and they couldn’t be seen and boats would go by, but the boats were so loud that they couldn’t hear people yelling. But we were by the shore, and we heard some people screaming and we went down to the beach, and I asked my son could he see anything. And he said, you know, I think there’s something out there.

And so we got on a couple of wave runners, these little jet skis that we had, and went out to the center of the lake. It was, I don’t know, a quarter of a mile or so out there, and sure enough there was a group of people that was struggling to take care of their dog and also get to shore, and we were able to load them up with a few trips and take them back and forth to shore, and get them cared for. That’s the sort of thing that happens, of course, we have to watch out for one another.

Wishon: That story, does that experience you had tell voters anything about Mitt Romney?

Romney: Well, I think it tells something about people in this country. Americans are quick to turn to aid someone who has a need, and I don’t think it’s particularly unusual. I think when you see an accident on the side of the road, for instance, people stop in large numbers to see if they can do something to help.

We’re a very caring, very generous nation and I count myself as an American probably no better, and hopefully not a lot worse than the average of this great country.

Comments on this post

I am struck by the incredible example of this man. He PERSONALLY rescued this family--but he chooses to deflect the praise to the American people and the character of our country. What a stark contrast to the constant self-aggrandizing we see in the current president.